Fair Day
by Bixata
Summary: After Jack returns from Edora a slip of the tongue reminds him that, no matter where he is, he'll always have a home.


Spoilers: A Hundred Days, Shades of Grey

**Fair Day**

Jack O'Neill stood outside his home, gazing at the mess his yard had become in his three month exile from Earth while stuck on the planet Edora. The grass was overgrown and the weeds had overtaken his garden, strangling the few flowers he had cultivated to add color and character to his simple home.

His mind tracked back to his life on Edora, planting and harvesting the crops with the few survivors of the meteor shower which had destroyed most of the village and buried the Stargate and stranded him on the planet, out of contact with Earth. He had made himself sick working the fields during the day and rebuilding the houses while digging and searching for the buried Stargate during the evening while there was still light out.

He tried to keep his hopes up that one day he would return to Earth, that his team would find a way to bring him home, but Laira had tried hard to make him move on and accept his place among her people, as one of them. But he wasn't ready to give up on his life back on Earth, traveling through the Stargate and visiting other worlds, protecting Earth from all possible enemies.

Foreign and domestic, apparently.

This new mission he had been assigned had him wishing he could have remained on Edora. He had just returned home, and now they were asking him to do this, to lie to his friends, and although on the deepest levels he did agree that the rogue NID operation which was stealing technology from Earth's allies needed to be stopped, he didn't approve of the way he was being asked to do it.

Basically, he was being blackmailed by the Asgard, the Tollan, and the Nox. Sure, it was an honor and a great ego boost to have earned their respect and trust and confidence such that he was the only one who could pull this off, but it was also hugely insulting. It wasn't too much of a stretch for them to believe that Colonel O'Neill might indeed turn his back on the premise of the SGC and become a thief, taking what he wanted no matter the consequences to Earth's relations with their allies. Yes, only Jack could appear callous enough, could lie and steal and insult General Hammond, and retire peaceably, turning his back on his world and his friends, in order to convince whoever was leading the rogue agents that he would be prime material for their little band of thieves and traitors.

Only Jack could convince his team that he was really worthless scum and deserved to be in prison.

Jack had never considered himself that great an actor.

As he stared at his home which he knew would be bugged and under surveillance by the time he returned after his next mission to Tollana, he wished he was back on Edora, where life was simple. He could have had a family with Laira and her son, he could have been a farmer, he could have lived out the rest of his life in peace. No more Gou'uld, no more Jaffa, no more death. He had never appreciated what he had there until he lost it.

He had made a commitment to this world, to the SGC, and he would make whatever sacrifices they asked of him to protect Earth. Even if it meant losing his own chance at happiness. He would never know if he could have found true happiness with Laira on Edora, but after this little operation, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to find it on Earth, either. Daniel, Carter and Teal'c would never trust him again, not after this stunt. If he lost them, he wasn't sure if staying with the SGC would even be worth it.

He was destined to be alone.

"Afternoon, Colonel."

Jack nearly jumped at the frail, raspy voice of his neighbor. As he turned to look at Pat Jensen, an elderly man in his mid-eighties, shuffling down the street with a cane, he realized that he would have to regain his sharpened senses and awareness before he commenced his next mission or he didn't have a hope of surviving. "Hey, Pat. How are you holding up?"

"No complaints, Colonel. Just stretching the old legs. Haven't seen you around for a while."

"Yeah, I've been out of the country for a few months." He smiled at his neighbor, thinking the elder gentleman reminded him of Haynan, once you got to know him, that is. He and Haynan hadn't exactly seen eye to eye at the start, but by the time he returned to Earth, Jack considered the gruff, cantankerous old man to be a good friend. "It's good to be home," he lied smoothly.

"You look a bit troubled, Colonel, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Got a lot on my mind. Nothing for you to worry about, Pat, just readjusting to life back home."

"Well, it's good to have you back, Jack. We were worried about you, disappearing like that without any word."

"You know me. I always pull through." He shrugged and smiled half-heartedly at the declaration.

Pat looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose you do. Take care of yourself, you hear? You're a good man, good for the neighborhood. Everyone feels safer having you around. You're welcome to visit anytime, you know. Man like you shouldn't be alone. We'd love to have you."

Jack nodded uncomfortably. "I appreciate the offer. Give my love to the wife," he added with a cheeky grin.

Pat smiled, glad to see that the Colonel's pensive mood seemed to have lightened, at least a little. "See you around, Colonel."

Jack nodded absent-mindedly as Pat turned around to head back to his house. "Fair day and be well," he muttered, turning back to his own home before he realized what exactly he had said.

Pat turned back to look at him, surprised by the unusual greeting. "How's that?" he asked, pretending he hadn't heard what the Colonel had said.

Jack had surprised even himself with the customary farewell of the Edorans. He hadn't realized they had had such on impact on him. But with that simple slip of the tongue, he realized that he missed his life among the Edorans, the simple pleasures of their society, the friendship of their people.

Why mourn something that you had never lost?

He may not have a life on Edora, but that wouldn't stop him from having one here on Earth. There were other people, right here in his neighborhood, that cared about what happened to him as well, that felt safe with him and depended on him, as the Edorans had depended on him to help them rebuild their village.

He wouldn't abandon his team, just like they hadn't abandoned him on Edora. He would make things work out between them once the mission was complete, no matter what he had to sacrifice to prove to them that they could trust him, that he cared about them, that he was their friend.

Jack looked his neighbor straight in the eye, standing proudly. "Fair day and be well, Pat." He smiled, his first real smile since he returned to Earth.

He looked up at the bright blue sky, the gentle breeze blowing over his face. "Fair day, indeed."

The End


End file.
